King George’s Medical University (KGMU) is aiming to be a part of Indian Council of Medical Research’s national-level study to find out the effectiveness of plasma therapy in treatment of the Covid-19 disease.
“We are in the process and our paperwork is almost complete. We hope to be a part of the study that shall establish the role of plasma therapy,” said professor Tulika Chandra, head of the department of transfusion medicine at KGMU, Lucknow.
The university has already taken permission from the drug controller general of India for plasma therapy for coronavirus patients. Three cured patients have donated plasma and it has been transfused to one patient, who is still under treatment.
The therapy aims to obtain plasma from a cured patient and administer the same to a patient under treatment. This exercise is based on the theory that a cured patient develops antibodies for the coronavirus.
KGMU had applied to be made a nodal centre for plasma therapy in the state. Communication was going on with ICMR in this regard for the past 20 days and now the same is under way to include KGMU for a pan-India study.
“We have treated 12 patients and several more are admitted. Not just our patients, but we can collect plasma from patients treated at other medical centres in the state and conduct plasma therapy,” said professor Chandra. She said a decision will be announced by this weekend, but she was sure ICMR will include KGMU in the study.
{{/usCountry}}“We have treated 12 patients and several more are admitted. Not just our patients, but we can collect plasma from patients treated at other medical centres in the state and conduct plasma therapy,” said professor Chandra. She said a decision will be announced by this weekend, but she was sure ICMR will include KGMU in the study.
{{/usCountry}}The study will include other centres from different states as well. Although it will take months to ascertain the role of plasma therapy in treatment of Covid-19, the move will help start the facility at many centres across India.